Virgin Mary Gerontissa Icon 21x13cm

The Virgin Mary Gerontissa is an ode to the miracles of the Pantokratoros Monastery, located on the Athos Peninsula. The first miracle associated with the Virgin Mary Gerontissa was the construction of the monastery. According to legend, during construction of the monastery the tools for construction continued to disappear and were later found nearby on the site where the monastery now stands. The second miracle occurred when an apparition of the Virgin Mary appeared to a priest performing a service at the monastery. The apparition instructed the priest to finish the service early in order to give Holy Communion to an abbot who was on his deathbed. A third miracle occurred when a famine overtook the monastery. The abbot at the time directed those who remained at the monastery to pray to the Virgin Mary for help. Following their prayers, the monks saw oil spilling out of the pantry and when they opened the door they found oil pouring out of a jar, which is depicted in the bottom left of the icon. 21x13cm